Today has been AWESOME!!!  There were so many amazing moments that my mind is racing as I try to remember each moment.  It’s getting late and I have an early Uber to catch so I’ll try to focus on the highlights.

Last night we had a fundraising event for Children’s Miracle Network and today we were able to hear the total raised.  As an Express family we raised over $225,000!!!  How awesome is that???  I am so thankful for the incredible generosity of Express.

During one of the awards sessions today we had what I feel is the epitome of our awards – the Employee of the Year. This is offered up to the best associate placed of over 500,000 people over the previous year.  The top 4 candidates were all invited to the event and each was announced with a speech of all of the things they’ve done to help other associates as they were working so hard for us.  They then walked on stage to the thunderous applause of over 1,000 Express family members who were all giving a standing ovation.  Many were overcome with emotions and it was a truly beautiful moment.  A single winner was crowned and received a check for $5,000.

Later in the evening an anonymous donor matched the $5,000 award for ALL of the other candidates!!!  How fantastic is that?  Later in the event someone else donated another $500 to each of them!  It was AWESOME!!!

To cap off the evening there were more awards given and it was so cool to celebrate the successes of each other and to give many big hugs.  As we celebrated we all dared to dream bigger.  Many conversations were had focusing on new ideas, next steps, and how to add to all of the incredible successes from last year.

Last, it was a day filled with time with many of my Express family.  From the early morning to the late hours of tonight almost all of my time was spent with them and I’m thankful for every minute of it.  I’m so thankful to have each and every one of them in my life.

Thank you to everyone who had an awesome impact on me today, I appreciate each of you!

Thanks!!!

Today was a pretty spectacular day overall.  There was an airboat ride, many alligators, seeing a heron spear a large bass, a lot of time with teammates, and a FaceTime session with Becky & Gavin (Dominic was in church)/

To wrap up the evening we had a meeting and reception for Express Leadership Academy.  The event was a great time to hear from both of our founders as well as learn about an upcoming ELA event.

The highlight of the night for me was being able to spend time with several of my ELA buddies catching up on what they were up to.  In some cases they’d opened new offices, in others they set the pace for all of us in 2017.  Spending time with them over a cold beer was a great time and was motivating for me to keep pushing to grow more.

Just over two years ago we didn’t really know each other, but now we’ve become friends and it was awesome catching up with them.  To each and every one of my ELA friends I was able to talk with tonight – thank you for making it a great night!

Thanks!!!

Today was a great reminder for me to let go of the wheel and let the travel gods do what they will.  As Becky was driving me to the airport my phone buzzed with an alert from Delta telling me my flight was cancelled.  The person at the service desk was surprised to see me smiling, she was expecting I was going to be upset.  As I told her, I had taken a deep breath and knew that I had no say in the matter so I might as well choose a smile and figure out a way to get to Orlando.  She helped out a ton and pretty soon I was on the road to Minneapolis.  As luck would have it I made it just on time, my flight started boarding less than five minutes after I got to the gate!  Thank goodness I made it!

While I was flying I had promised myself that I would work on my book.  I wanted to watch a movie, play a game, or just take a nap, but instead I busted out my iPad and keyboard and went to town.

There were distractions galore including turbulence and the family sitting all around me (dad and son on my left, mom and the three youngest on my right, grandma and grandpa in front of me, aunt, uncle, and niece in front and to the right – I’d offered to move but they were set where they were).  Every disruption caused me to pause and second guess switching to something else, but every time I stuck with the book.  It took a few seconds to gather my thoughts and jump back in, but it felt great!

Before I knew it my three hour flight was almost complete I had finished about a chapter and a half – much more than I’d expected to cover today.  After Sunday I should be no more than a chapter away from wrapping up the rough draft, not too shabby!

It was a very productive flight and I’m thankful to have stuck with writing on my flight today, it felt wonderful to make progress!

Thanks!!!

Tonight we had some strips of bacon to go along with our roasted red pepper soup and chili & biscuits (I know, a bit of a mishmash, but actually quite deliciously perfect!).  As we metered out how much bacon the boys could have I couldn’t help but smile when my calculations led me to tell the boys they could each have two and one half strips of bacon.  My grinner got wide with anticipation of the upcoming conversation…

Immediately Dominic called for Gavin to come in to cut the one strip in half so Dominic could then choose the one half that was exactly one half of a milligram larger than the other.  Gavin was too slow and Dominic was too hungry so Dominic finally relented and made “the cut.”

Gavin immediately proclaimed that he was choosing the larger half.  Dominic laughed and told him that was actually the smaller half because Dominic’s half was wider.  Gavin made a comment about his piece being thicker.  Then there was a second measurement which resulted in each boy still having the larger half…  though they each seemed to be a little nervous that they got the smaller half.

Watching this all play out I couldn’t help but laugh out loud and think of all the times my brother and I had played this scenario out in our childhood (and sometimes in our adulthood!).  Whether it was a strip of bacon, a rice crispy bar, a slice of pizza, a glass of soda, or a bowl of cereal everything was measured under the tightest scrutiny that would have made a nano particle physicist proud.  We used every possible form of measurement to make sure we were able to get the largest piece.  At some points we resorted to unusual cutting patterns to try to trick the other.  It was an exercise in futility, but it was also awesome and a perfect example of what it meant to be brothers.

As my boys went through the same ritual I smiled from ear to ear thinking about all the ways that this will escalate over the years and all the laughs they will have over those memories as they get older and are able to watch their kids do the same.  Tonight I’m thankful for experiencing one of those moments of brotherhood with my boys, it was awesome for all three of us!

Thanks!!!

As we all snuggled in for a family movie night to wrap up a busy weekend we fired up Wonder and it got me right in the feels.  At various times almost everyone in the house teared up, some more than others.

The thing I really liked the most was how the movie didn’t do just the normal “here’s life from the perspective of the main character” rather it looked at the world through the eyes of many of the people involved.  Telling the entire story like this really helped me see the world briefly through each person’s eyes.  In some cases I caught myself feeling like I wasn’t the only one who felt a certain way, while in other cases I realized things I need to work on and remember.  So often I don’t take the time I should to pause and consider what the world looks like from someone else’s perspective, but this movie put that front and center.

It was made all the more special by watching it with my family.  To be able to have time together seeing the same story was great and I’m sure there will be several times this movie gets referenced…  Auggie: “Why are we whispering?”  Dad: “Because I’m afraid of Mom!”  😉  I’m thankful to have watched this movie together, it was a pretty awesome way to wrap up a crazy busy weekend.

Thanks!!!

While packing up our stuff for camping last night I couldn’t help but smile as Gavin brought up our backpacks. They’re a great pair of Jansport packs that always seem to have just enough room for everything and the perfect number of pockets to keep everything separated. Even after almost 16 years and much use all of the zippers still work great! The way it balances weight on my back always feels just about right. All that said, they’re not what I appreciate the most about them.

The thing about these bags that had me smiling as I packed were the memories I had of where these backpacks came from and who gave them to us.

When Becky and I were opening our wedding gifts almost 16 years ago we got to these two beauties! Inside were many, many small camping supplies that were all individually wrapped. From first aid to containers to supplies it was a camper’s dream! The packs themselves were amazing, the additional treasures were the icing on the cake! At the time we didn’t have enough cash to get all of these things, it was so awesome to get all of this – especially with our upcoming honeymoon to Glacier National Park!

Even better than the gift was the person that it came from, my second mom, Maggie DeSota. Every single time one of these backpacks are used I can see Maggie’s smiling face in my mind and it puts a huge grin on my face and warmth in my heart. She helped to create many incredible memories for my friends and I in our teens and I’m so thankful for all that she’s done for all of us over the years. These backpacks aren’t the same as spending time with her, but they’re about the next best thing and always bring me great joy.

As we packed our bags last night I just smiled and thought back to so many happy memories with Maggie and her kindness… just as I have every time either the boys, Becky, or I use those packs. They’ve been on countless family, camping and scouting adventures, and I’m thankful for them and the memories they bring from each and every use.

Thanks!!!

Becky and I got home from our trip today and it feels great to be back.  What made it the most special was the extra time I got with each of the boys individually tonight.

I picked up Gavin from Student Council and had fun talking with him on the ride home.  Becky took him to swimming lessons and then it was time for Dominic and I to have some alone time.

With the house to ourselves we busted out a couple of games and gave each other a hard time while catching up on what was new with him at school.  After the games he helped me make supper and it was fun showing him a couple of new tricks in the kitchen.  Just like when we played games we had fun giving each other a hard time and talking.

Once Becky and Gavin got home and supper was ready we ate as a family and enjoyed some time with all four of us.  It felt awesome to feel like normal for the first time in over a week.

After supper Gavin and I started packing for Cub Scout Winter Camp this weekend.  It gave him and I some time together walking through what to bring, how to pack, and how to do things like attach a sleeping bag to backpacks.  At times we drove each other a little nuts but we had fun!

While Gavin and I packed Becky and Dominic had some time to themselves and fired up some cribbage.  The two of them had a couple of games and sounded like they had a lot of fun.

All of us were together briefly as we started watching a little bit of the Olympics.  Then Becky and Gavin headed off to bed and now it’s just Dominic and I sitting on the couches watching the Men’s Super G ski race.  Nothing crazy, just some great chill time together.

I love vacations and traveling, but today I’m so thankful for the bits and pieces of time I got with each of my boys, it felt like home and I’m happy to be back!

Thanks!!!